Point guard Jalen Brunson reportedly rejected an extension offer from the Dallas Mavericks and will join the New York Knicks as a free agent instead. Brunson will receive a four-year, $104 million deal from his new team.
The Knicks were Brunson’s most aggressive suitor in the free agency and have been preparing for his arrival for several weeks. They made several trades to clear their salary bill and were willing to give him the biggest offer compared to all other teams involved. Brunson will now become the first player in NBA history to sign a $100+ million deal with a new team without a single All-Star appearance to his name.
While the Knicks are yet to make the news official, Brunson’s agents Aaron Mintz and Sam Rose already confirmed the deal to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Brunson, who was a second-round pick by the Mavs in 2018, had a breakthrough 2021-22 campaign that saw him post career-highs across the board. He averaged 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists while emerging as the team’s top offensive option behind star Luka Doncic.
Dallas made Brunson their key focus in the offseason but couldn’t convince the 25-year-old to stay put. The Knicks not only made a better financial offer but also presented an opportunity to take on a more prominent role as opposed to playing second fiddle to Doncic. The New York team recently also added his father, Rick Brunson, as an assistant coach to further sweeten the deal.
